On Valentine's Night, My Wife Entered a Love Hotel

On Valentine's Day, I booked a restaurant and a hotel and sent the address to my wife, Tilda James.

She wrote back: Working late tonight, no time for dinner. Go cancel the hotel.

I was disappointed, but I understood that her work came first, and I replied: Don't push yourself too hard. Take care of yourself.

But when I walked out of the restaurant, I saw her from behind, and there was someone else walking beside her.

Her junior colleague, Aaron Rowe!

Their bodies were leaning together as they walked, close, into a hotel nearby.

A pink sign.

It was a love hotel.

I stared at that sign for a long time, then sent her a message.

Let's get divorced!

An hour later she finally called, and the first thing out of her mouth was an accusation.

"What's wrong with you? Just because I didn't spend Valentine's Day with you?"

I said, "That's right!"

Love is selfish, marriage is sacred, and neither one leaves any room for betrayal.

"Humphrey Henson, have you lost your mind?"

Her voice was full of anger.

"No, I haven't."

"If you haven't, then why are you asking for a divorce? Today is Valentine's Day, and I'm still at the office working late. Fine, so you can't be understanding about it, but now you're making a scene about divorce? You"

I cut her off. "Working late? Are you really at the office working late?"

"Obviously. Where else would I be if not at the office? You think I've got as much free time as you."

I laughed.

Not only was there not the slightest guilt in her, she sounded perfectly justified, and on top of that she made her disdain for me clear.

The bitterness and pain settled heavier in my chest, coiling there, and I couldn't hold it in. I asked her outright.

"You're at the office working late. Then what about Aaron Rowe?"

"What are you getting at?"

Tilda shot back at once.

"Oh, I see. No wonder you're kicking up a fuss about divorce. So you suspect me and Aaron."

"Humphrey, are you even a man? Can't you be a little more open-minded? Aaron is just my junior. Stop always thinking everyone around you is that filthy."

"I'll say it one more time. There's nothing between me and Aaron."

"Making a scene about divorce over him is completely unreasonable!"

Nothing between them?

Then was it a hallucination, the two of them walking so close into that hotel just now? Or was I seeing ghosts?

"Are you finished?"

"Humphrey!" Tilda was furious. "What exactly do you want?"

"A divorce!"

The next second, her heavy breathing came through the phone.

"Humphrey, I'll give you one last chance."

"No need. I'll hire a lawyer to draw up the divorce papers in a bit. I'll see you at the county clerk's office tomorrow."

With that, I hung up.

After that she called eight times in a row. I didn't pick up a single one.

At ten that night I came out of the law office, holding the roughly drafted divorce papers in my hand.

Even though I was the one who bought our marital home, both our names were on the contract, while the savings were in her name, and the car was under her name too.

The lawyer said the house was easy to split, but the savings and the car would be hard to divide cleanly, and he asked me whether the other party was at fault, because if she was, he'd fight for the biggest share for me.

I hid the fact that Tilda had cheated, deciding to leave her, and myself, a little dignity.

Unless I had no other choice, I didn't want to face her in court!

Ten past ten at night.

Tilda's mother, my mother-in-law, called.

Like Tilda, she opened with an accusation.

"Humphrey, have you been mistreating my Tilly?"

"No."

"Then why did she call me in tears? Have you forgotten what you promised me when you married her?"

Her voice climbed.

"I haven't forgotten."

"If you haven't, then tell me what happened. If it's your fault, apologize to her. If it's hers, tell me, and I'll set her straight myself."

"Nothing happened. I just want a divorce."

The words landed, and there were four or five full seconds of silence before her mother's voice came back, shrill.

"Divorce? Have you lost your mind? You don't just throw a marriage away. Tell me, what on earth happened?"

I didn't answer.

"Fine. You won't talk. I'll ask Tilly."

The call ended. Two minutes later, the phone rang again.

She wasn't furious this time. She coaxed. "I know all about it now. It's just a misunderstanding. That Aaron is a junior from Tilly's college days. She's always thought of him as a little brother."

Little brother?

The kind of little brother she walks into a love hotel with?

"She told you he's just a little brother, but I saw the two of them go into a hotel together tonight."

Her mother went quiet, then hesitated a few seconds before she spoke. "Humphrey, are you sure you didn't see wrong? Tilly said she was working late at the office tonight."

"See wrong? I've shared a bed with her for five years. You think I couldn't recognize my own wife from behind?"

She fell silent again, longer this time.

"Humphrey, I think you should trust Tilly. She isn't that kind of person."

"Her going into a hotel with that Aaron doesn't have to mean what you're imagining. It could have been for work."

"You, though, you're always suspicious over nothing. How many times have I told you? A man has to be big about these things."

I laughed.

Mother and daughter, no doubt about it. Even the words were identical.

"Just go home. I'll call Tilly and have her give you a proper explanation."

An explanation?

No need. My heart is already dead.

Two years ago, I might have believed whatever Tilda said.

She really was good to me, after all, apart from the occasional temper.

But not now.

Because these past two years I've seen her get close with Aaron more than once.

They'd eat off the same pair of chopsticks, walk hand in hand through the shops, hug in public.

It wasn't as if I never let my face go cold. But Tilda's explanation was always the same handful of lines.

"I wasn't paying attention. Don't make a thing out of something so small."

"A little closeness between an older sister and a younger brother is perfectly normal. You're the one reading too much into it."

"Humphrey, I'm your wife. I'm the person closest to you. Do you really not even trust me?"

Ha.

I've been wondering why I was such a fool. My heart already doubted her, and still I lied to myself, still I refused to face the truth until it cut me to the core.

Five years ago, I married Tilda.

At the wedding, I promised her parents I'd cherish her for life, love her, and never let her suffer the slightest wrong.

For five years, I never wavered.

Whatever she wanted, I gave.

However she wanted me to act, I acted.

Even when we fought, I was always the one to apologize first, to agree to condition after condition.

I don't understand. I'd done everything right, so why did she still have to hurt me?

Then a gust of wind kicked up and blew a flyer against my feet.

Valentine's Day! Come share a romantic, passionate date with the one you love!

Looking at that headline, I found my answer.

She just doesn't love me anymore.

Come to the office.

The message was from Tilda.

You don't believe I'm working late? Then come see it with your own eyes.

I looked at the divorce papers in my hand and typed back: Fine.

I did need to make a trip to the office anyway.

It was Valentine's Day, so there weren't many people around, only the people on Tilda's team andAaron Rowe.

When he saw me, Aaron spoke up first Humphrey, come on in, Tilly's been waiting for you.

He was grinning ear to ear.

Tilda, by contrast, didn't look happy at all.

Tilly, Humphrey's here to spend Valentine's Day with you.

Aaron took Tilda's hand without a second thought and pulled her toward me.

Every one of her coworkers was watching me.

I heard one of them, smug.

See? I called it, didn't I? First he makes our Tilly cry, and now here he is, rushing over to apologize.

I pretended not to hear it and held out the divorce papers to Tilda, who had been pulled right in front of me.

Just drew these up. Take a look, and if there's no problem, sign them.

In an instant, the whole office went quiet.

Tilda's face flushed red, and she stared me down like I was her enemy.

Aaron's face hardened Humphrey, what do you think you're doing?

I said flatly Getting her to sign the divorce papers.

You

Tilda pointed a finger at me, and Aaron held her back.

He looked at me, serious Humphrey, Tilly told me all about it. It's just a misunderstanding. Think about it, if there really were something between me and Tilly, why would she ask you to come to the office and explain herself to you?

I lowered my eyes to their hands, still clasped together.

Did anything still need explaining?

Two years ago, Tilda started refusing to be affectionate with me in public. She wouldn't let me hold her hand. Her reason was that we were an old married couple, and keeping a little distance kept the feelings fresh.

Right. Fresh they certainly were.

After all, she'd traded me in for someone else.

Humphrey, Tilly's all yours tonight. Give her a proper apology. I hope you two have a romantic Valentine's evening.

Aaron held Tilda's hand and offered it to me.

When he said Valentine's evening, the corner of his mouth curled up.

I caught the mockery in it.

No need. I only came to get her to sign the divorce papers. As for Valentine's Day, someone's already spending it with her.

The flat words landed in the office, and every one of Tilda's coworkers looked put out.

Humphrey, bringing up divorce on Valentine's Day? Is that any way to act?

No wonder Tilly would rather work late than go home. I'd do the same.

You're her husband, and you don't even treat her as well as Aaron does as her junior.

I didn't argue. There was no point.

Right now, all I wanted was to end this marriage with Tilda as fast as possible, then go somewhere with no one around and lick my wounds alone.

"Humphrey, do you really have to humiliate me in front of everyone?"

Tilda's face was full of anger.

I laughed and shot back, "You think you're the one being humiliated?"

"You're the one who brought up divorce on Valentine's Day, then showed up at my office waving divorce papers for me to sign. If that's not humiliating me, what is?"

I felt worn out, and rubbed at the throbbing ache between my brows.

"Fine, let's say I'm humiliating you on purpose. So, can you sign the papers now?"

"You... fine, it's just signing for a divorce, isn't it? I'll give you what you want."

Tilda went furiously to look for a pen.

Aaron hurried to stop her. "Tilly, calm down."

Her coworkers all chimed in, talking over each other to talk her down.

Once they'd settled her, they turned on me one after another.

"Humphrey, what exactly has Tilly done to wrong you? How can you treat her like this?"

"Apologize to Tilly and admit you were wrong. Otherwise, even if she forgives you, I won't."

"Hmph, one Valentine's Day and he's making a scene about divorce. You've been married five years, an old married couple. Does it really matter whether you celebrate Valentine's Day or not?"

"Do you have any idea how exhausted Tilly is, working overtime day after day for the company's next-phase project? You can't be bothered to care about her, and you come here to fight with her on top of it."

"Take a look at this project yourself. Could you ever pull something like this off?"

One of Tilda's coworkers dragged me over to her desk and pointed at the computer for me to look.

On the screen was a business proposal.

The longer I looked, the more familiar it felt. This was... something I'd made?

The project plan, the market analysis, the outlook, all of it was identical to a business proposal I'd put together a while back.

And that proposal was the one Tilda had torn apart as worthless. At the time I'd felt awful about it, and for a while I'd doubted myself completely.

Ha.

So it turned out I'd done it too well, and she wanted it for herself.

I asked Tilda, "You made this proposal?"

Her expression turned uneasy.

The coworker who'd pulled me over snorted. "If Tilly didn't make it, then who, you? Let me tell you, Aaron worked on this proposal too. Not only because he cares about Tilly, but because he's driven, he's reaching for a higher position."

"Compared to him, you're not just a failed husband, you've failed at your job too!"

So that was it.

I looked at Tilda, then at Aaron.

Both of them had their heads down, faces gone slightly pale.

"Humphrey, say something!"

Tilda's coworker wouldn't let up.

"How is this going to get resolved today? You're a man. When you're wrong, you own it. Don't make me lose all respect for you."

"Apologize to Tilly."

Before I could open my mouth, Tilda blurted out in a panic, "You've made this whole scene because you want a divorce, right? I'll sign it right now."

At those words, her coworkers' faces all changed.

"Tilly, don't act on impulse."

"Marriage, divorce, these are the big things of a lifetime. Don't do something you'll regret."

"Tilly, you can't sign."

"..."

Ignoring their protests, Tilda picked up the pen and moved to sign the divorce papers.

Slap!

My palm came down flat on the papers.

Tilda looked up at me, forcing herself calm, and said coldly, "Having second thoughts? But I've already decided."

I shook my head. "Of course not. It's just that I think, before you sign, you'd better come with me to the police station."

"Oh, and Aaron too!"